On-farm nutrient cycling is a key way that farms can build resilience in the face of climate change. At this year's Spring Growth Conference, co-sponsored by MOFGA, Unity College and The Resilience Hub, participants will hear about historical trends impacting Maine's weather patterns and the theoretical opportunities for closing the nutrient loop. The keynote speaker is John Aber from the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of New Hampshire. MOFGA's organic crop specialist, Eric Sideman, will facilitate a farmer panel discussion of practices on the farm. Details and registration.

Organic and Sustainable Agriculture News

In the FDA’s actions on trans fats, are there lessons for GMO labeling?Grist - 11/30/2013. By Michael Lipsky - On Nov. 8, the Food and Drug Administration announced that dietary trans fats would no longer be “generally regarded as safe,” a decisive step that will lead to banning trans fats from foods altogether. Excluding trans fats from the food supply will result in an estimated 20,000 fewer heart attacks and 7,000 fewer deaths each year.

Novel DNA Spreads into the Environment, Livestock and HumansThe Cornucopia Institute - 11/29/2013. By Pamela Coleman - The food in grocery stores today is unlike the food eaten by our ancestors, even a few hundred years ago. Part of the difference is easy access to highly processed foods that contain refined sugar and chemical preservatives. A more significant difference is the high percentage of genetically engineered (GE) crops that are the source for our food.

What is the true cost of food production?Environmental News Network - 11/29/2013. By Patrick Holden, The Ecologist - Unsustainable farming systems that damage the environment and public health thrive at the expense of sustainable producers. Patrick Holden makes the case for "true cost accounting."

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Keynote speaker John Aber and a panel of farmers focus on weather- and climate-related changes farmers are experiencing. Includes open discussion on strategies for farmers to deal with changing climate. Information and registration.

Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon, Houlton Higher Education Center, Rm 110, 18 Military St, Houlton. Presented by Eric Sideman, Crop Specialist, MOFGA. Hosted by the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. The class is the second in a three-part high tunnel series funded by the Broad Reach Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. 1 pesticide credit is available through the class. A complementary lunch will be served. Pre-registration is requested. Contact the SASWCD at 532-2087 x 101 or angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net

11 a.m., Bernard Osher Foundation Auditorium, Portland Museum of Art. Join this panel of experts on local sustainability in their discussion of the importance of public food forests, public orcharding, edible street trees, permablitzing and community gardens. A Community Collaboration between Portland Museum of Art and MOFGA. Free for PMA and MOFGA members ($10 for the general public). Schedule and details.

Two-part course designed to provide farmers with a strong background in soils, weeds and pest management, enabling them to make good management decisions. Lectures by Eric Sideman, MOFGA's organic crop specialist, and local farmers. Information and registration.

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Locations: Palermo with Angus Deighan; Beech Hill Farm, Mount Desert with C.J. Walke; or Kermit Nickerson School, Swanville with Sean Murphy. Do you have old trees on your land that you would like to bring back into production? Learn how to renovate and tend your heritage trees. $50 non-members; $35 members. Information and registration.

6:30 p.m., Bernard Osher Foundation Auditorium, Portland Museum of Art. Hear Christy Hemenway from Gold Star Honeybees, Heather Spalding, MOFGA deputy director, and Fedco Seeds founder CR Lawn talk about our pollinators and the national and local issues that concern them and our food supply. Maine honey and mead tasting to follow. A Community Collaboration between Portland Museum of Art and MOFGA. Free for PMA and MOFGA members ($10 for the general public). Schedule and details.